40 DAY JOURNEY WITH DIETRICH BONHOEFFER Day 3

Day 3

This order and discipline must be sought and found in the morning prayer. It will stand the test at work. Prayer offered in early morning is decisive for the day. The wasted time we are ashamed of, the temptations we succumb to, the weakness and discouragement in our work, the disorder and lack of discipline in our thinking and in our dealings with other people․all these very frequently have their cause in our neglect of morning prayer. The ordering and scheduling of our time will become more secure when it comes from prayer.

Biblical Wisdom
In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

Questions to Ponder
In what ways might “prayer offered in the morning” be “decisive for the day”?
Do you agree that many of the problems we encounter have “their cause in our neglect of morning prayer”? Why, or why not?
How can prayer lead to the “ordering and scheduling of our time”?
Psalm Fragment
Give ear to my words, O Lord;
   give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
   my King and my God,
   for to you I pray.
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
   in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch. Psalm 5:1-3

Journal Reflections
Write about how you usually spend your mornings. What do you do before work or school?
Are you satisfied with the way you spend your mornings? If not, how would you like to spend your mornings?
How is prayer presently a part of your morning? Any changes you would like to make?
Prayer for Today
Lord, show me a time in the morning when I can listen to you for the day ahead and when I can talk to you for the day ahead.

40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.